Steering systems in vehicles use a variety of shafts and gears to transfer a steering input from a steering wheel to turn wheels on the vehicle. Steering systems may use a gearbox to transfer the rotational input of the steering wheel to translational movement of the wheels left and right. Some gearboxes include a rack and pinion, a recirculating ball, or a worm and sector mechanism to transfer the rotational movement of the steering wheel to the translational movement of the wheels. Power steering systems help drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel. Hydraulic or electric actuators may add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. The actuators are often connected to the steering system through additional sets of gearing.
The gears used in the gearboxes and the connection of the actuators may generate an undesirable noise described as clatter. The clatter may be more prevalent when the vehicle is driving straight and over bumps. The source of the noise is suspected to be gear lash between the gears. In the case of a rack and pinion mechanism, the source of the noise is suspected to be the gear lash between the rack and the motor pinion and/or the rack and the steering pinion. While the clatter may not be felt by the driver through the steering column, an audible clatter may emanate from the steering system that can be heard inside the vehicle cabin.
The above problem(s) and other problems are addressed by this disclosure as summarized below.